We use had better and an infinitive (without to) to give advice in a specific situation, e.g.:
| A: I'm very tired. (Estoy muy cansado.) |
| B: Well, you'd better go to bed then. (Bien, mejor que te vayas a la cama, entonces.) |
| If John doesn't understand what he has to do, he'd better ask for more details. (Si John no entiende lo que ha de hacer, mejor que me pidas más detalles.) |
We can also use had better to give ourselves advice, e.g.:
| I've got to get up early. I'd better set the alarm. (Me he de levantar pronto. Mejor que ponga el despertador.) |
We use should or ought for general recommendations, not had better, e.g.:
| When people are tired, they should go to bed. (Cuando las personas están cansadas, deberían acostarse.) |
| If someone doesn't understand what she has to do, she ought to ask for more details. (Si alguien no entiende lo que ha de hacer, debería pedirme más detalles.) |
